From Complexity to Clarity: Building a Practical IT Budget Tracking Tool
A global agro-industrial organization needed a reliable way to consolidate IT workloads and guide budget decisions with accurate data. This case study explores how we designed and delivered a Low-Code IT Budget Management solution, built on Mendix, to help managers track and allocate resources efficiently.
Key Challenges & Overview
The organization sought to improve budget management within its IT department. The goal was to replace scattered tracking methods with a centralized solution capable of consolidating workloads for both the current and upcoming year. Managers needed to allocate team time across project work, ongoing operations, and off-project activities, producing a clear view of resource allocation to guide decisions. The challenge was to create a solution that was both technically robust and seamlessly integrated into managers’ daily workflows.
Our Approach
We started the project with an initial design phase, then relaunched it with a stronger focus on usability. The interface and business rules were completely rethought over a 50-day design sprint to ensure managers could use the tool intuitively and effectively.
- User Experience First
We simplified the interface so that managers could quickly view, allocate, and adjust their teams’ time without navigating complex screens. Assignments by service became more flexible, reflecting the variety of tasks and activities within the IT department. We restructured data entry to follow the natural flow of staff reviews, reducing friction and ensuring the tool fit seamlessly into existing routines.
- Data and Business Rules Rethought
Beyond the interface, we reworked the underlying model that supports forecasting, monitoring, and classifying time entries. Our goal was to provide managers and finance teams with reliable data for both short-term tracking and long-term planning. This included clarifying the rules around what counts as project work, operational support, or off-project activity, so the reporting would be consistent across the department.
- Testing and Refinement
We dedicated a full month to user testing after the redesign. Managers were invited to use the tool in real conditions, and their feedback was collected in detail. Every point raised – whether about navigation, terminology, or workflow—was analyzed and integrated into the final adjustments. This iterative process ensured the solution was not only technically solid but also genuinely adopted by those who would rely on it.
- Delivery on Time
We launched the tool within the planned timeline. The combination of focused design work, clear project governance, and close involvement of end users allowed the tool to be delivered on time and in line with expectations.
Benefits
The budget tracking tool now provides:
- A consolidated view of workload distribution.
- Improved collaboration between IT and finance teams.
- Enhanced planning capacity for future years.
- Real-time tracking strengthens budgetary control.
Managers gained clarity, control, and confidence in resource management, enabling better decision-making across the IT department.
If you are facing similar challenges with workload tracking or resource allocation, our software engineering teams can help you build a solution that works in practice.
If you want to learn more about our software engineering services and how we help organizations turn complex requirements into usable solutions, get in touch with us today.